The present disclosure relates to a simulation method and a simulation program for predicting the process state of a workpiece, and a process control system, a simulator, a process design method, and a mask design method that use the simulation method.
Techniques for simulating the shape of the surface of a wafer, which is changed due to etching or deposition, have been known. For example, in Japanese Patent No. 5050830, in relation to prediction and control of the variability in the process conversion difference in plasma etching of a semiconductor, a simulation method taking into account the effects of a wafer aperture ratio and effective solid angle of a local pattern on the plasma etching is disclosed. By taking into account the effects of these parameters, it is possible to three-dimensionally consider the effect on the shape of a mask pattern in a two-dimensional simulator.
Moreover, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2011-044656, a method of simulating the process shape using information obtained by multiplying the flux (Γ) of a reaction product, which enters a pattern in processing, by the solid angle (Ω) of the pattern, and mask information (aperture ratio and film thickness) as input parameters is described. According to the method, it is possible to optimize the recipe conditions such as a gas flow rate and pressure in real time using Γ*Ω as a control index.